


Under the Same Sky

by allofthetea



Series: Regular-Irregular Universe [1]
Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Bottom Mark Lee (NCT), Dirty Talk, Drinking, Emotional Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Jealousy, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT)-centric, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Nakamoto Yuta-centric, One Night Stands, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, References to Depression, Rejection, Rimming, Secrets, Smut, Top Nakamoto Yuta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-26 20:35:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30111669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allofthetea/pseuds/allofthetea
Summary: Update on 3/25/21- Hi all. Chapter 6 is in the works, I swear. I'm usually a fast updater, but this chapter requires extra love and time. I promise it will be worth the wait! Thanks!Nakamoto Yuta has a passionate one-night stand that changes the course of his life. Lee Mark takes a new job and discovers that his sunbae looks awfully familiar. The world watches as the tension becomes delicious, tense, heartwarming, and very human.OrYuta and Mark sleep together, discover they now work together, and navigate the sexual tension.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Nakamoto Yuta
Series: Regular-Irregular Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2215827
Comments: 77
Kudos: 87





	1. No Manners

**Author's Note:**

> Happy teatime, everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of my first fic on the AO3! Just wanted to include some notes here before you begin. 
> 
> 1- This is a YuMark fic that has multiple chapters. I hope that you’ll stick with me through it, because I promise that it gets spicy! There is smut and angst in this story. I AM called “allofthetea” after all. I’ll try my absolute hardest to update as fast as I can while preserving the spirit of my story.
> 
> 2- This fic is takes place in an alternate universe, but I put in full effort to keep the characters true to their original personalities. 
> 
> 3- I leave K-pop Easter eggs in my writing. I placed some in here. Can you find them?
> 
> Thanks all! Now grab your tea cups and please enjoy!

**POV Yuta**

Within the secret confines of his mind, Yuta was in ecstasy. Someone was combing fingers through his silver hair, charging his skin, and leaving goosebumps. A tongue was moving sinuously in his mouth. He felt enormous pleasure. Whoever he was with smelled like a heady mixture of pheromones and sex. His body, programmed to respond to that very phenomenon, was gathering beautiful heat in his belly. Oh God, the pressure was building as this person’s hand massaged his dick. It was such good friction. He was going to come. 

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Yuta awoke with a start as the alarm on his cell phone yapped obnoxiously. The first sensation that addressed him was irritation at his lost orgasm. The second was a great pulsation in his head that felt as though someone had beaten him with an elbow during his sleep. The third was abrupt awareness that he was lying prone and completely naked in his bed. Then he remembered.

_I had sex last night._

It came flooding into his waking memory like a rushing river. The sounds of moaning, the wetness of mouths clashing, the coolness of the sheets as bodies tumbled, the pressure of climax from the base of his spine to the end of his member. Yuta panicked and sat bolt upright, anticipating the awkwardness of greeting a total stranger in his bed. Bracing himself, he tentatively peered to his right…

Nothing. No one. Had it actually happened? The sheets were wrinkled and smelled of cologne upon a test inhalation. Yuta inspected the trash can. Sure enough, a tied off condom sat flat and pathetic at the base. There was only one more thing to check.

Yuta flung the sheets away from his body and walked swiftly to the bathroom. There they were, vivid and clear on the expanse of his chest, identified by the ever-observant mirror: two blossoming red kiss marks. He fought a peculiar new wave of arousal as he gently touched them. Suddenly, he remembered what those bites had felt like…alongside a fleeting mental glimpse of the person who had left them. Biting his lip in frustration, he activated the shower. He could take care of his increasingly insistent hard-on in there.

As the hot water cascaded over his head, his memory slowly clarified.

Loud moans. Yuta had pulled this man down onto his dick so many times that his partner had been positively whimpering. Disgustingly sweet squelching sounds. Yuta had called him “baby” and had kissed the shell of his ear and the pulse point of his neck. They had made scorching eye contact as his partner came all over his bare abdomen. They were brown eyes, shining with tears and blown dark and wide with want. Yuta’s mouth had traced the words ‘Oh fuck’ as he exploded. The rush was so intense that sleep must have claimed him very shortly thereafter. He could not even remember pulling out, but he must have. The absence of a partner in his bed and the neatly tied off condom were evidence of that. At least he had retained his fine motor skills enough to accomplish that task with little mess.

As he rinsed the mint and tea tree oil shampoo from his hair, he tried to recall a name. It had not been Korean, and yet the man had been so. He had spoken perfect Korean as well. _Was it Max? Miles? No, neither._ His mouth had been filthy in the most spectacular way, though. He used multiple profanities and had indulged his “oppa” kink. As he thought of this, Yuta chuckled to himself.

“Tease. He didn’t even leave me his number. No manners at all.”

With a smirk on his face, he finally gave his hand permission to touch his dick. He panted and moaned, conjuring the most magnificent images of both his tryst and his dream. When he came, he cried out softly, waited until his legs were no longer trembling, and resumed his shower. When he was finished, he hurriedly dried his body and hair with a towel. He smiled at his navel piercing as it shone in the scathing light of the bathroom. It was his little secret. As he caressed it lightly, yet another memory of his partner from the previous night popped back into his mind.

**The Previous Day…**

_He had looked…innocent. That was precisely why Yuta had advanced. The new bar patron wore fitted dark wash jeans, black shoes, and an oversized, soft knitted sweater. The collar of a blue shirt poked shyly out from the crew neck of the sweater, like two puppy ears. His black hair was slightly tussled from the wind tunnel that was the front entrance. He sat next to him at the corner of the bar and greeted Yuta with a soft “Hey”. Their dialogue had flowed, unencumbered and effortlessly from that point onward._

_Yuta had complimented his excellent choice from the beers on tap. The man had blushed when Yuta rested a piercing gaze onto him for more than two consecutive seconds. They had chatted for a while about many topics…what they did for work, the job that the man was starting the next day, what Yuta thought would be a handsome hairstyle for his first day, and what was required to woo new coworkers into functional collaborations. It pleasantly surprised Yuta that they were both employees in the same industry of business and finance. There was joking that they could possibly be rivals, but it only seemed to fan the flames of chemistry._

_By the time they had ordered soju, this new person had the flushed cheeks of someone who was fully appreciating his libations._ Cute _, thought Yuta. They had shifted so that they were sitting closely together. Speech dropped to lower and slower octaves. Both parties were exchanging lingering stares and occasional whispers that had them both either giggling or beaming. Subjects became more informal and provocative. What music is the most sensual? What kind of chocolate tastes the best? Is red wine truly the drink that always precedes sex?_

_“You’re adorable.” Yuta had stated, emboldened by the alcohol._

_“Ahh…stop. No, I’m not.” The man covered his face with one hand._

_Yuta wanted to die because the sight of this man blushing was so adorable. The front of innocence and  
naïveté was so pure that he wanted to claim it. To take a small bite. _

_“You are, though.”_

_More eye contact._

_“My face has turned bright red, hasn’t it?” verified the man._

_Yuta traced the attractive stranger’s other hand with an inquisitive and elegant middle finger. He watched intently as the man’s eyes dropped to view the gesture. His mirth subsided, but he didn’t recoil. Instead, he met Yuta’s gaze and didn’t blink. He interlaced his fingers. They were mildly sweaty. Bolstered by this, Yuta leaned forward until he was about three inches from the man’s face. The temptation to kiss him was tremendous._

_“It has…but you wear red so well.” Yuta moved his face so that his lips gently grazed his companion’s cheek, and then his jaw, and then the lobe of his ear. He could feel a hand lightly tremble in his. “Do you want to take this to my apartment?” he whispered. “Don’t worry, you can refuse me, but I definitely think that I can make it worth your while.”_

_“What do you mean by that?” his new friend responded in a low growl right next to Yuta’s own ear. The latter could hear the smile if such a thing were possible._

_“You know exactly what I mean. Don’t you dare tell me that you’re_ _clueless_. _It'll just make me more determined._ ”

_He touched his nose against an ear flushing rouge, and his prospect shivered. Yuta’s cock, quite predictably, felt very intrigued by where this conversation was headed._

_Yuta retreated, smirking, keeping his lion’s eyes focused. The delightful eye contact persisted; two handsome young men knowing exactly what they wanted from the other, mutually picturing the most sinfully delicious images. Yuta pictured stroking this man’s jet-black hair as he was torturously licked and sucked to completion._

_“You’re bold.” Said his fellow bar patron finally._

_“You like it.”_

_They both quietly laughed, eyes crinkled with aroused amusement, but not daring to break contact._

_“I shouldn’t…but…yeah let’s go.”_

_Grinning, Yuta slapped his credit card down onto the counter. It was a metal card and made a satisfying ‘CLACK’ noise when it fell._

**Present…**

Yuta had adorned himself in a classy, charcoal gray, tailored business suit. His silver hair was styled and combed out of its usual waves. Yuta worked as a financial consultant. He was content in his job, as it paid bills and got him out of the apartment. His boss trusted him, and he was close with his coworkers Johnny and Sicheng. When he was finished with his work every day, he made sure to decompress by drawing, watching anime, and exercising. Overall, life should have been good, but his heart was occasionally lonely. Every so often, he encountered someone unique. Like flames, these “special ones” would flare in a burst of power radiant enough to override Yuta’s usual aloofness, entice him to the light, burn searing hot, leave scorching handprints on his body and heart, and then extinguish…cold, dark, doused, gone. Just like the previous night, they never seemed to want to stay with him. When the last “special one” had disappeared with fury and wind, Yuta had resigned himself as a working man until the end. No more. It left him dejected and depressed.

Yuta popped open his prescription bottles and took the usual: 100mg of Sertraline, 150mg of Bupropion HCl, 1000IU of cholecalciferol, and 600mg of ibuprofen (the last one being for the treatment of his demanding hangover). The medications were dutifully swallowed with a full glass of tap water. Upon departure from the kitchen, he gathered his wallet, keys, and an apple, slipped on designer black shoes and his wool coat, locked the apartment, and headed for the train.

***

One hour later, Yuta was jogging into his office building. The train had met unanticipated delays and thus made him 25 minutes tardy. He hoped that he would be able to slip into his cubicle without being detected by his boss. He had never been late before. Regrettably, as he exited the elevator on the 6th floor and ran into the office space, he came face to face with his boss at the beginning of the maze of cubicles. He was waiting, arms folded across his chest, and face donning an entirely unimpressed expression.

“Nakamoto Yuta, you’re late. You had me worried. It’s out of the ordinary for you. You look unwell, do you have a cold? I hope you haven’t been awake all night fooling around.” Taeil probed as he squinted at the conspicuous grey shadows under his employee’s eyes. Despite makeup application, a full glass of water, and three ibuprofens, he apparently still looked taxed. Yuta bowed contritely.

“The train was delayed this morning. I apologize for being late. I’ll hurry to my workstation now.”

Taeil held up his index finger.

“Not so fast, Yuta. Youngho will take your usual work today. I need you to orient somebody.”

Yuta performed a double take. “Me?”

“Yes. You’re my best consultant. This guy is a rookie, but he has potential. I want him working smart from the beginning.” Taeil stated simply as he handed Yuta a blue new-hire orientation folder, presumably to bestow upon the trainee, whoever he was.

Yuta examined the folder for a label.

“What’s his name?”

“Lee Minhyung. He’s young but he has gusto. He’s late as well, I’m assuming that he encountered the same predicament as you…or at least I hope that’s the case. Not the best impression to leave on a first day otherwise. Make sure that you treat him properly. Welcome him. Have lunch with him or something. First days can be daunting. Oh, and don’t let Youngho take the mickey out of him too much. Please.”

He smirked, chuckled, and then moved in the direction of his office. Yuta rolled his eyes and sighed. If he was the best consultant in the practice than surely he should be engaging in more useful and profitable employment than babysitting a new hire.

_It’s only for a few days_ , Yuta reminded himself. Presently, he just desperately required a cup of coffee. As he made his way to the Keurig, Sicheng waved for his attention. Yuta smiled widely and greeted him cheerfully.

“My work husband!” He flung his arms around Sicheng’s shoulders and threatened to kiss him.

“Hey! I’ll report you to HR!” Sicheng was laughing, however. This was their normal dynamic. They were very accustomed to it. Yuta would viciously flirt with his friend, his friend would threaten to get him fired, they would have a good laugh, work well together, and then text each other memes or exercise together later in the evening. “I heard that you have trainee duty today.”

Yuta exhaled wearily. “Yes, his name is Minhyung. Frankly, I didn’t even know that we were hiring new consultants.”

“It’ll be fine. Maybe you’ll fall in love with him and christen his new desk. It’ll be just like a corny fanfiction!”

“And cheat on my one true love? I could never! You and I can make sweet love right here, right now! Fan the flame of love!”

Yuta puckers his lips once more and Sicheng pushes him away by the face in a very cat-like manner. The chair slightly inclines and soon the two are engaged in a play fight.

“Are you two seriously playing ‘Grab-Ass’ again? My virgin eyes!”

The voice belonged to Liu YangYang, a sharp and impish financial advisor, who was covering his eyes and spewing small shrieks of mock agony from the cubicle that was diagonal and to the right of them. Distracted, Sicheng missed his chance to block, and Yuta planted an exaggerated smooch directly onto his cheek. The former exclaimed, swiped his cheek with his hand, and wiped it on Yuta’s designer suit. Swatting Sicheng’s hand, the financial consultant then half-shouted,

“Ehhh, YangYang is no virgin. Just ask Hendery from the compliance department!” 

Sicheng erupted in a loud fit of laughter and clapped his hands. YangYang threw his pen in the direction of Yuta’s head, missing only by centimeters. Guffawing to himself, Yuta left Sicheng’s cubicle and traveled through ‘the maze’ to the Keurig station where Johnny was standing. His head still ached. He needed coffee so badly. On closer inspection, Johnny appeared cantankerous.

“Johnny, what’s wrong with the Keurig?”

“Seems to be broken.”

Yuta groaned. “Ah, stop it. Are you kidding me?”

Johnny fixed him with a scrutinizing glare.

“What’s wrong with you, Grumpy?”

“…Hangover.”

“You drank on a Wednesday night?”

Yuta’s demeanor turned a tinge of guilty.

“Long story. I don’t normally.”

“I know you don’t. Is that why you were late today?”

“No, the train was delayed.”

“But last night? That’s really unlike you. Everything ok?”

Yuta grinned. “We don’t need to talk about it at work but thank you for caring.” He made sure to pat Johnny’s shoulder. He didn’t want to make it appear that he was rejecting his concern. “I’ll fill you in later.”

“Yuta! Youngho!”

Both parties about faced to see Taeil walking purposefully toward them. There was a person closely tailing him. As both figures approached, Yuta’s mouth suddenly turned dry and wired shut. His eyes widened with shock.

“I would like you two to meet the new hire. Minhyung, this bean pole here is Suh Youngho, and our other tardy employee and your partner in crime is Nakamoto Yuta. He’ll be orienting you. Yuta, Youngho, this is Lee Minhyung, but as he’s just informed me, you may call him ‘Mark’.”

Mark’s eyes met Yuta’s and the astonishment was unmistakable, even though the muscles of his face made no movements. There he was…the mysteriously disappearing one-night stand…in front of him, dressed in a designer suit, wearing round Oliver Peoples glasses, and being introduced to him by his own boss…but they had already met. He had already been inside of him. Yuta nearly dissociated. 

As this uncomfortable information sloshed through his consciousness, drunken memories returned and returned and returned.

At the bar…

_“What’s your name?”_

_“Mark.”_

_“Nice to meet you. I’m Yuta.”_

Against his apartment wall…

_“So pretty, Mark. Tell me again.”_

_“Oppa…Oppa please touch me…”_

In his bed…

_“Say my name! Use me, Yuta.”_

_“Ahhh…Mark, I’m coming, baby! Oh fuck…”_

And thus his work life would never be the same. What the fuck…


	2. Passion of Wine Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark spends his first day as a financial consultant with Yuta as his coach. How will it go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> Happy teatime and thank you all who have read the first chapter. I want to get the first few out to you all in rapid succession. I'm really enjoying this.
> 
> I've dropped one K-pop Easter Egg in this chapter. Please enjoy!
> 
> The Easter Eggs in the last chapter were:  
> 1) No Manners by SuperM - "Tease. He didn’t even leave me his number. No manners at all.”  
> 2) Move by Taemin- "Take a small bite" (from his shirt in the MV)  
> 3) Flame of Love by Taemin- “And cheat on my one true love? I could never! You and I can make sweet love right here, right now! Fan the flame of love!”

**POV Mark**

“Here.”

Mark jumped slightly as Yuta had been almost silent when approaching his new workstation, which was bare, plain, and reeking of disinfectant from recent cleaning. When he swiveled his squeaky, black office chair, he saw that he was being handed a cup of strong-smelling tea. Mark put his orientation folder down onto the surface of his desk with diaphoretic and trembling hands. He had thoroughly wrinkled the package of useful papers and phone numbers. Insecurely, he accepted the cup from…his new co-worker. _Oh my God._

“You didn’t need to do that.” He mumbled, averting his gaze. “I would have just made coffee.”

“The Keurig is broken. This is turmeric and ginger. Both are decent herbs for hangovers.” Yuta stated offhandedly. “Interestingly, they’re even better when you add spiced honey, but I don’t have that here in the office. You’ll have to make do with it being black.

Mark scowled. “I’m not hungover.”

“If I’m hungover, then you definitely are. This will help, trust me.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Yuta sneered incredulously. “You absolutely know what I mean, Markie.”

“Don’t call me that like I’m some kid.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” stated Yuta pointedly, “I can say with the greatest deal of authority that you are not a child. Look how sophisticated you are in that suit. It makes me jealous.” Mark squirms as he feels Yuta’s lion eyes scan his body. “Also, you were quite skilled last n—”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down!” Mark implored, staring intensely at Yuta as if daring him to provoke further. To his horror, Yuta merely grinned.

Mark was taken aback by this, not because he was offended, but because the smile was radiant, just as he remembered. His teeth were straight, white, and picturesque. Suddenly, the skin of Mark’s nape tingled. _God damn it. God damn._

**The Previous Night…**

_Mark and Yuta had both consumed two additional glasses of red wine and thus verbal filters had long been discarded like pieces of litter. Overheated, Mark had removed his outer sweater and unfastened the first two buttons of his light blue shirt. His cheeks were glowing, his expression was liberal, and his tongue was loose. A feeble voice of reason in his brain was muttering that he had overindulged, but he could not summon the willpower to leave the couch where he was nestled with Yuta like two cats and call for a ride home. Every time that little voice spoke, Mark had to smack it away like some bothersome fly. His drunken rationales seemed straightforward. 1) The inner voice sounded eerily like his roommate Doyoung, who was wonderful in many ways, but tended to be overprotective and a bit prudish. No doubt, he would have something to say about this evening in relation to starting his new job in the morning. Frankly, Mark just couldn’t be bothered at this time. 2) Yuta had lifted Mark’s legs onto his lap and had slithered his arms around his waist, and that felt…so lovely. He smelled fantastic, as well. Giggling, Mark nuzzled his face into Yuta’s neck, earning a surprised laugh from him._

_“You smell…really good. What is it? Peppermint?”_

_"And you said I was bold.”_

_“Can I have more wine?”_

_Yuta cackled and threw his head back in a way that made Mark want to attack him. It was charming. The older man brought a finger to Mark’s lips in an affectionate gesture._

_"You know that your mouth and tongue are completely red from this wine, right?”_

_Mark cheekily bit onto the finger in a sudden surge of what his inebriated mind thought was pure genius._ Ahh, that will show him _. What it did do was send Yuta recoiling in amusement. He leaned his pretty face onto his hand for a moment._

_“Well, well, well, little puppy, it seems I’ve underestimated you.” Yuta purred as he began to play with Mark’s blue lapels._

_Mark bent forward in laughter. “You’re gonna’ call me ‘puppy’? Oh my God. That’s so cringy.”_

_Yuta laughed again. It had an amazing ability to resonate within the apartment and was full of something that felt a lot like…like…wilderness._ Charming _, Mark thought again._ Really hot. _He wanted to throw his arms around this man._ ‘You’ve been hanging out with Hyuckie too much.’ _Droned Inner Doyoung._

_"You’re not into that?” answered Yuta, loosening his grip on Mark’s waist, and instead stroking his back with gentle fingers. Mark relished the feeling._ ASMR _…he thought._

_Smiling with fake innocence, the younger poked childishly and clumsily at Yuta’s lips and cheek with his index finger._

_"Nah, not so much. I’d rather you call me ‘baby’.”_

_He was so drunk. Inner Doyoung smacked his palm against his forehead, but Mark didn’t worry one bit. For once, he enjoyed playing this game, and he was winning. His companion’s lips looked soft. They weren’t even stained by the wine._ So pretty. _What else could they do, other than spin silky and flirtatious sentences? At that second, more than anything, Mark was aching for that answer. Involuntarily, his dick began to twitch in his jeans._

_Yuta smiled dangerously, took Mark’s probing finger into his, and pressed a light kiss onto its pad. Mark stopped smiling and stared even more obviously at Yuta’s mouth. Eventually, he did force his wide eyes to meet with Yuta’s once more._

_“I can call you that.” Yuta’s voice was little more than a rumbling whisper. “But what does that make me?”_

_There was a very pregnant silence as electricity, auras, and energy flowed around them in a cosmic way. Despite Inner Doyoung telling him that it was only the booze making him feel dizzy, tipsy Mark swore that it was fate instead. The words escaped him before he could stop them._

_“For me, that makes you ‘Oppa’.”_

_“…”_

_“…Yuta?”_

_Yuta lunged and gripped the back of Mark’s neck firmly, but not painfully. He had a new energy, suddenly._ Thunder and lightning. A summer storm _. If Mark had not found it absolutely exhilarating, he may have been frightened._ Rain on me.

_“Open your mouth.” Yuta’s voice had grown dark and authoritative, but it was still smooth like melted ice cream and low in volume._

_“What?” squeaked Mark._

_Yuta brushed his lips against his. They were soft._ Oh my God.

_“Open your mouth. I won’t beg. Open it. Now. Open it.”_

_The last sentenced was muffled as a moan erupted out from Mark’s body. Yuta possessed his mouth from the start. His saliva…his breath…his tongue…these things tasted like ideas that he could not describe. Arousal was not the word. This was not tangible or nameable. Was it remnants of alcohol? Was it the fact that he was taking a risk? Mark did not know._

_He became fully hard in a flash. Mark clutched Yuta by his shirt collar as their teeth clashed momentarily. He reclined, pulling the older man between his legs. The couch was comfortable, but Yuta’s hardness rubbing against his thigh was bliss._

_“Oppa…” Mark whined breathlessly._

_Yuta dragged the younger’s lower lip across his teeth and rutted into Mark’s thigh. Their mouths were plump and shining with spit. Mark most likely looked debauched already._ Why am I doing this? Actually, I don’t give two fucks.

_“Give yourself to me tonight.” Yuta growled before they connected their mouths once more._

_Back in Mark’s mind, Inner Doyoung gave one last shout of_ no no no no no, _before Inner Mark shoved him to the ground and melted…melted…melted…_

**Present…**

“Mark, you’re staring.” Yuta said flatly.

Spooked, Mark slid his chair into reverse. He plucked the tea sachet out of his cup with more aggression than was necessary and threw it into the junk bin.

“You should have let it steep. It needed seven whole minutes. There is a proper way to make it so that it is effective.” Yuta sounded annoyed.

“Yes well, I don’t really mind as long as it’s not cold.” Mark rebutted as he took his first sip. “Oh. This is actually pretty good. I like it.”

Yuta nodded awkwardly. “Would have been better fully steeped.”

A softer energy entered the cubicle. The drink was warm and comforting. Mark swallowed his pride and thanked him.

“Don’t mention it, Markie.”

And in a moment, the softness was gone.

“What did I just say?!”

***

The clock had just struck 5:00PM and Mark was depleted. Yuta had cracked the whip and run him ragged throughout the entire day. They had even eaten lunch at his desk. Not only was Mark’s brain entirely fried, but he was growing disillusioned with Yuta’s voice. Despite the erotic interactions of the previous evening, the financial consultant was strict, intransigent, and at times, an ice king. To make matters worse, every time Mark was tempted to cop some sort of attitude with his sunbae, the latter would flash his high-beam smile and stare at him with fluttering cow eyes until he was flustered and refocused on the task at hand. It created an emotional roller coaster that Mark did not remember boarding. He began to hate how easily he had fallen into Yuta’s bed. Even more than that, he despised how he was still captivated by his smile. _How can a person be this cold and yet so hot at the same time?_ _It should be illegal for its amount of disrespect._

“The clock has hit 5:00PM, Yuta. Can I please go home?”

“We don’t get paid by the hour, Mark. We get paid a salary. That means that upper management will judge you by how much you can complete in one sitting. Finish your hours early in financial periods. Make one eighty to one hundred calls per day depending on workload. Don’t make mistakes. Then earn commissions. That’s how you become a successful consultant. In time, you’ll probably earn more than enough to retire early.”

“Oh my God.”

“Nah, He’s not going to do your work for you. Keep your nose to the grindstone. If I’m training you, you’ll be remarkable, not mediocre. Now, focus.”

A loud yawn followed by Johnny’s towering form arrived at the cubicle where they were still working diligently.

“I’m heading out. You two are still working?”

“Yeah.” Groaned Mark. His voice was hoarse from so many phone calls made to clients. His head still throbbed slightly from his morning hangover.

Sicheng approached as well. Mark had to admit that this man was a walking visual. The new consultant admired his haircut, which was like his own, but fluffier and prettier. Even his ears were attractive.

Yuta let out a high-pitched whistle.

“Winwin…Why are you so handsome? You do things to me all day, all night. Don’t you know what you mean to me?” He walked out from the cubicle and embraced Sicheng tightly, snuggling into his ear. Sicheng laughed and again tried to escape from his clutches. Johnny too thought it was hilarious.

“Make sure that you call me tonight, baby.” Yuta cooed.

SNAP!

Everyone stopped joking. Yuta released Sicheng. Mark had crushed a pencil in half with a fist that had his knuckles turning white. Blushing, he swiveled back toward his computer and said “I hope you get home safely, guys. Thank you for a good first day.”

“Yeah, you too Mark. I’m glad you’re here with us now.”

They departed, and Yuta turned about slowly. Mark pretended not to feel the burning stare boring through his suit and into the skin of his back.

“Are you alright, Markie?”

Mark could hear Yuta’s voice absolutely dripping with amusement. He couldn’t even think about turning his chair because his face had become so red that it was comparable to a tomato. Mark placed his hands onto his temples and rubbed them unhappily.

“Can we please just return to work?" He snapped. "If I must be here with you until 9:00PM, I at least want to be efficient.”

How on Earth had Mark gone from celebrating a new job, to sleeping with a stranger, to finding out that his one-night stand was, not only his co-worker, but a totally different person than what was presented to him? It was enough to make Mark want to crawl out of his skin. He was hungry, tired, and genuinely humiliated. He could have been placed with anyone in this office for training. Why did it have to be like this?

There was a prolonged silence. Neither Yuta nor Mark moved or spoke. Finally, Yuta rejoined him. Mark was relieved that his face was stoic and not coquettish.

“Quickly save this and send it to the client.”

Mark followed orders robotically. He was just about to send the email when Yuta interjected.

“What did you forget?”

A wave of frustration crashed over Mark. He nearly cried. When no response was given, Yuta spoke again.

“Hey.” He placed a hand on Mark’s hunched shoulder. Against his will, Mark relaxed. His hand was warm. “You can do this. Clear your head and focus. What did you forget?”

“Compliance check.”

“Yes. Absolutely. We need to check if the compliance department has cleared the document. If we send an ‘Internal Only’ document out, privacy laws will be breached, and we’ll be in serious trouble. Check it again and see.”

Mark reopened the document and sighed with relief.

“It’s okay to send.”

“Very good. You can send that now, and after you and I are going to dinner.”

Mark stared at Yuta in disbelief.

“What?”

“You did really well today. I’m not an easy person to deal with. Here’s the thing, Mark. You’re a rookie consultant. You may have been an advisor before, but once you’re a consultant, you play with the big dogs. Management will always be hounding you, wanting more. We have to work these wrinkles out of you now so that you don’t make critical errors and lose your standing in the future. When you have these beginning stages mastered, you can spend more time rising to bigger places.

I can’t promise you that I won’t be hard on you all the time. I can’t promise you that I won’t check up on you often. I can’t promise you that I won’t take interest in helping you advance yourself. My reasons are simple. I think you’ll be fucking great at this.”

Mark gazes, open-mouthed and frozen.

“You’ll want to close your mouth. Flies could nest.”

Flustered once again, Mark shut his mouth and sent the document.

"Now, log off, put on your jacket and let’s go. I’ll pay. Oh, and Mark? I'm proud of you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're getting to know each other! What will they discuss at dinner?
> 
> Keep reading and please leave a kudos if you like the story. It means so much to me!
> 
> Thanks guys!
> 
> allofthetea <3


	3. It's Awkward, But It's Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuta and Mark have a heart to heart over dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and happy teatime!
> 
> Boy, this one was a doozy for me for some reason. I rewrote a lot of it because it wasn't up to my standards. I still don't know if it is, but I'll let you all decide.
> 
> The next chapter will probably be after Monday. I am currently earning a doctorate, so I have a lot of work to do over the weekend. If I get done early though, you all may see the chapter come sooner. 
> 
> Easter Egg from Chapter 2: Resonance by NCT 2020- "It had an amazing ability to resonate within the apartment and was full of something that felt a lot like…like…wilderness."

**POV Yuta**

As they walked down the busy sidewalk, Yuta saw Mark clutch the collar of his wool jacket to his face. The wind blew relentlessly and scraped against both of their cheeks. Cool flakes fell, signaling the relatively silent arrival of snow. For a while, they remained awkwardly silent, concentrating only on the sounds their shoes made on the pavement, but Yuta couldn’t help noticing when Mark shivered audibly.

“Are you cold?”

“No.” He replied solemnly.

“There’s no need to be so brave.” Yuta took his hands out from his pockets and wrapped his arm around Mark’s shoulders. It was for his dongsaeng’s benefit, but he had to admit that things were warmer and more comforting this way.

“What are you doing?”

“Warming you.”

“We’re not familiar. Why are you doing this?”

“You’re really asking me that when you were in my bed last night?”

No response, and this perfectly suited Yuta. Mark was not the only one worn wafer-thin from the day’s work and accompanied embarrassment. He was awfully cute, but currently, the sunbae had zero patience for his occasional brat-like attitude, which had reared its annoying head periodically throughout the day. Yuta could feel a budding migraine, precipitated by dehydration, exposure to blue light, lack of coffee, and overindulgence on the prior night. As the day had progressed, he felt more and more internally defensive. _Why had Mark disappeared so early in the morning? Why didn’t he leave his phone number? Had he been…unsatisfied?_ That certainly was not the impression that Mark had given him when Yuta’s dick had been deep inside of him. However, he _had_ been drunk. _Was he a bad lay?_

As for the workday, it was entirely possible that Yuta had allowed his irritation to translate into passive aggression. He had worked Mark like a draft horse at the desk and phone. However, when they stepped away from the office and into the crisp air, he had transformed from bothered to merely fatigued. This, of course, had the unintended consequence of showing Yuta a mirror image of himself, and he did not like what he saw.

“Just let me take care of you right now, Mark. Please. I don’t have the energy to debate you.”

Yuta expected Mark to ignore him but was thankful when he just accepted his new circumstances. He even leaned slightly into the warmth of the older man’s body. True, this proximity did feel weird while sober. He hardly knew Mark. Why then was it that Yuta’s emotions felt so disorganized?

He dropped his arm. “Right here. After you.” He motioned for Mark to enter the restaurant.

This was a place where he, Johnny, and Sicheng frequented on Friday nights. Usually soju, beer, and drumsticks were the order that Yuta directed to the auntie who ran the restaurant. Today it was very well established that alcohol was the furthest thing from their minds.

“Sit down over there!” Yelled the auntie as she bustled through the tables, carrying dishes. “Sit wherever there is a two-person table.”

“Thank you!” answered Yuta courteously.

The pair sat across from each other at a table near the window. The auntie took down Yuta’s order for one coffee, two waters, and two seaweed soups to start. The snow outside was zooming by in small flecks, carried cheerfully on the enthusiastic wind. It sharply contrasted with the atmosphere between them inside of the restaurant. The air was so thick with tension that a butter knife could have cut clean through it. Mark deliberately averted his eyes from Yuta’s and fixated either on his hands, folded loosely in his lap, or at the snow riding speedily on the wind. Yuta thought that if he were given a second chance to enter a bar and see Mark like this, he would want to reassure him, because he looked like a puppy who had been recently kicked. He closely examined the lines and grooves of Mark’s face.

He was tired. That was apparent. Gray shadows clung to his reddening eyes behind his round spectacles. He had a few freckles scattered sporadically over the areas of his nose and cheeks, but one would never notice unless they were seeking them because a small wrinkle of anxiety had formed and overstayed its welcome. His hairline contained a single, small blemish. Had it formed in stress? His chin had one tiny area that betrayed his hasty shaving from the morning…the morning that began in Yuta’s bed, made Mark late, and then later turned into Hell.

Yuta saw a beautiful picture in who was in front of him, though. His eyes were large and a shade of brown that reminded him of dark chocolate and birthday cake and luxurious fur. His freckles had him wondering if Mark enjoyed sunny and warm days. Did he jog? Did he play basketball? In the summer, did he lay passively and sleepily in the sweet-smelling grass and allow the sun to kiss his body? The one blemish even seemed harmless. It did nothing to tarnish the splendor of his face. When Yuta developed blemishes, they looked truly unfortunate. As for the stubble, Yuta felt guilty…but he wanted to kiss it. Lastly, although it was a bit ruffled from the wind, his hair had been styled according to Yuta’s recommendations from the prior evening.

Remorse and shame crept over Yuta with bony hands and sharp fingernails. It felt very unpleasant. Had he pushed his trainee too hard?

“I know I was harsh on you today. Do you regret coming to work for us?”

Mark’s mouth became a thin line.

“It’s fine.”

“Is it fine?”

No response. No eye contact.

That hurt. Honestly, Yuta would have preferred Mark to cuss at him.

**The Previous Night…**

_Mark made a rough-sounding grunt followed by a good-natured, breathless laugh as Yuta pressed him against the wall right next to his bedroom. Yuta licked this noise with his tongue and swallowed it down his throat with delight. The kissing was extraordinary. It would have been difficult to articulate to another person had he been asked, but it didn’t feel like escapism. On the contrary, it felt like meeting something in a hard and fast collision where he would be tossed about, touched everywhere, and pushed into transcendence. Mark’s mouth was his. His noises were his. His excitement was his. Tonight, Mark was his. Until morning, he had someone. Someone special, because he would never learn._

Why is it like this with a man I hardly know? _Yuta’s mind whispered._ Why does it access the secret parts of my body? Why does it activate and provoke me? None of it makes sense. I fucking love it. But why?

_When Yuta paused his relentless exploration of Mark’s mouth to take a deep breath, he saw that the latter’s eyes were unfocused and half-closed in pleasure. They glittered entrancingly like jewels in the reduced light, even when partially obscured. Yuta chased the eye contact with the persistent resolve of a hunter. He had a penchant for the beauty of eyes and had formerly questioned the universe as to whether he was a pervert for wanting to see his partners’ eyes when they come. When push came to shove, he decided that there was nothing wrong with it. There wouldn’t be anything bad about it here, either. Mark had gorgeous eyes._

_For a while they hungrily mouthed and gyrated against each other, the wall providing the ideal place for them to support their gradually molding bodies. Both men could feel it, Yuta was certain…definite hardness…the physical manifestation of desire. Mark wasn’t even hiding it. He was rutting it._ Yes, baby. Press it. Press, press, press, press.

_The younger forced their separation and went through the motions as if attempting to unbutton his shirt. Yuta was completely alert and ready to witness. In his eagerness, he foolishly overlooked who he was playing with, however. Mark suddenly snatched the elder’s long hair. Yuta produced a soft cry and consequently it was his turn to blush. Then he was absolutely pulsing in his jeans. Mark had taken in his exposed lower lip, and for approximately half a minute nearly sucked a bruise into his mouth. His scalp ached, but he couldn’t find the mental capacity to tell his partner ‘no’._ Jesus. Jesus Christ. I never would have guessed. _When Mark finally withdrew, Yuta felt thoroughly punch drunk. Mark didn’t stop there. He dove into Yuta’s neck with a low hum and bit down._

_Yuta’s eyes squeezed shut and he gripped Mark’s hair tightly. He bit his tongue to hold back his voice, but it didn’t last. Mark bit down again, this time his tongue dancing in perfect circles on the pulse point. Yuta let out an animalistic noise. Goosebumps surfaced all over the older man’s body. A nerve in his lower back began to tickle…something that only happened when is neck and ears were touched. And of course, his cock strained against his jeans. If it could have shouted for Mark, it would have. Yuta’s brain was already doing so._ I want you. I want you. I want your body. I want your voice. I want to come. Come to me. Come to me.

_After what seemed like a torturous eternity, Mark released Yuta and leaned back against the wall. Yuta caged his partner with his arms, mostly to stabilize himself as his brain recovered from its short-circuiting. Mark’s grin was wicked under puppy-like eyes. Yuta could not believe how astoundingly misleading those eyes were. All was well, though. Yuta didn’t mind his rebelliousness at all. It was flavor on the situation. He would lick that too, oh so slowly. Every. Last. Bit._

_“Wow…I really underestimated you. Holy fuck.”_

_Yuta longed to rip open Mark’s shirt himself. He wanted those white buttons to go flying and ricocheting in every direction, fall to the floor, and sound like gentle rainfall on the windowpane. However, it would have been poor manners to destroy such a brilliantly fitting garment._

_“Is this your way of saying that you’re going to be a handful for me?” Yuta asked, although he was loving every bit of this interaction. “You’re a brat, you know that?”_

_Mark beamed, which was contagious to Yuta. It occurred to him that they were now just standing there, leaned against a wall, their dicks screaming to be touched, their eyes fixed on each other’s every move._

_“Am I?”_

_“Yeah, you are.”_

_“It’s meant to be this way.”_

_“And what makes you say that?”_

_Mark let out another winded laugh._

_“I can’t give you everything so easily. You’ll get spoiled.”_

Damn. He’s so erotic and so cute. How can the two co-exist like this?

_“I’m already spoiled. You couldn’t make it worse.”_

_“I won’t tempt fate.”_

DAMN. And he’s savage.

_“Yeah?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“So, what should I do with you then?”_

_“Are you in a rush?”_

_Yuta laughed in amused frustration. This conversation was far too stimulating to the senses. He could feel the incoming fireworks. It didn’t matter that they didn’t know each other. Mark was a puppy through and through. So soft and playful, with needle-like teeth. It was perfect._

_“Do you want to fuck, or not?”_

_“Of course, I do. But…”_

_Yuta groaned loudly when Mark rubbed a hot, open palm against his bulge._

_“It’s more fun to torment you first.”_

_In the next moment, it was Mark who initiated a kiss._

_“Open your mouth, Oppa.” He whispered._

_Mark’s velvet tongue slid slowly across his own. Somehow, this made Yuta snap. He put a hand on the younger’s chest and pushed him securely back into the wall._

_“Last chance to be good, baby.”_

_Mark responded by biting his bottom lip and allowing it to slowly slip back into its normal position._

_“Oh my God. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.”_

_Yuta ripped the blue shirt open. The sound of the buttons dropping was every bit as satisfying as he envisioned. He mouthed at Mark’s neck, which smelled amazingly of spiced tea. He was careful not to leave hickeys, as much as his neanderthal brain yearned to do such a thing. His fingers grasped gently at Mark’s jaw and chin, preventing him from closing off access. He was pleased when he met minimal resistance. Just some heavy breathing. He didn’t overthink his actions, but let them flow, guided by Mark’s body rhythms, breathing, and voice. The hand on his erection had not left for one second, and he was getting so hot under his long sleeve shirt that he thought he would spontaneously ignite. He pulled it over his head and threw it thoughtlessly in a random direction. Yuta almost swooned as Mark’s arms enveloped him. The sweetness of skin-to-skin contact was heavenly. He was cute. Mark was so fucking cute._

_Yuta’s mouth deposited wet, open-mouthed kisses on Mark’s collarbone, down in a line to the dip of his sternum, and just to the side of his right nipple. Every effort was made to lick around the areola, but not directly on it. Mark began to whimper. Encouraged by the reactions, Yuta flicked the nipple directly one time only with his tongue before replicating the same actions with the left nipple._

_“Looks like I underestimated you as well.” Mark sighed, his body quivering like a leaf on an aspen tree._

_“I’m a sore loser.” Yuta replied, the devil in his gaze._

_He knelt onto the ground and kissed Mark’s clothed erection with an open mouth. Soft moans metamorphosed into drawn out whines that were higher pitched and increasingly frantic. Yuta opened the button of the younger’s jeans and slowly dragged down the zipper. As Mark’s pants were yanked to his ankles, he breathed heavily and audibly. Yuta looked up to assess his work, his elegant hand caressing the side of his partner’s thigh. Mark’s forehead was glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, detailing the exertion that it took him to remain standing. Shining wet spots on his chest reflected like mirages in the desert. His eyes were locked on Yuta’s._ Good _._

_“Mark, tell me what I want to hear.”_

_Mark whispers._

_“Oppa…”_

_Yuta slid Mark’s underwear over the bones of his hips and down to where his jeans had pooled. He hoped that the victim of his ministrations could feel the humidity of his breath on the tip of his cock._

_“Tell me again.”_

_“Oh…Oppa…”_

_Yuta took the base of Mark’s length into his hand. The air was spiked with the smell of arousal. It felt like everything and everyone didn’t matter, save for that action in that moment. While making his favored eye contact, Yuta placed a single wet kiss onto the tip of the younger man’s length._

_“So pretty…so pretty, Mark. Tell me again.”_

_“Oppa…Oppa please touch me.”_

**Present…**

If it were possible to feel like a strip of bacon in a frying pan, Yuta thought he could describe himself as such. This was painful. How in God’s name was he going to remedy this?

“Mark, I won’t demand it of you, but I would really like it if you looked at me. We aren’t in the office anymore.”

Yuta internally flinched as Mark finally returned his eye contact. It was far from the exquisite chemistry that had characterized their eye contact on the preceding night. It was a glare. It had venom in it.

“Thank you. Look Mark, I am who I am when I’m at work. I won’t apologize for that. I’ve scratched flesh off of my own bones to become the top consultant at the practice. Our work is competitive. You need to be able to handle the heat to be in the kitchen.”

“You don’t think I know that?” barked Mark. “I sat in an interview with ten other people. I publicly spoke and schmoozed and shook hands for four hours at a time for three straight days. I’m not even the most confident guy, but I did it. I earned my place.”

Mark’s eyes appeared incensed before he placed his elbows onto the table and dropped his head in his hands.

“I need to keep this job. I’ve worked so hard to get here. I can’t have my confidence undermined so early.”

It was difficult to tell if Mark was talking to himself or to Yuta. The elder had an incredible urge to fold the new consultant into his arms. Again, he wished so much that Mark would just shout at him or call him an asshole. He could tell that the younger was directing his insecurities inward and overthinking.

“Auntie!” Yuta bellowed. “Can we also please have an order of fried chicken?”

“Sure!”

Mark rolled his eyes.

“You’ve already ordered soup.”

“We need chicken as well.”

“Why?”

“Because you have to eat to stay energized during the day and to sleep well at night. Also, it will make me really happy if you eat delicious food that I pay for.”

“I’m not that hungry.”

“Yes you are, Markie.”

“I told you not to call—”

“I’m going to proudly call you ‘Markie’ until you accept self-care at this time. Don’t _not_ eat the chicken to spite me. Trust me, I’m not worth missing out on Auntie’s meals.”

Mark’s thin line of a mouth became a miniscule scowl. 

As expected, when the seaweed soup and fried chicken arrived at the table, the delectable aromas wafted from the dishes and up into Mark’s face. Immediately forgetting his self-imposed, Yuta-inspired hunger strike, Mark began eating. Unexpectedly, he was so enthusiastic about it that he began to chat light-heartedly.

“Wow.” Mark mused with his mouth full of chicken. “This is fucking good. I’ll have to tell my roommate about this place.”

Yuta slurped the seaweed soup and gently smiled. He was perfectly happy and relieved to see Mark looking less like a man with one foot in the grave. The tension seemed to have dissipated slightly.

“What’s your roommate’s name?”

“Dongyoung, but everyone calls him Doyoung.”

“And what does he do?”

“He’s in law school. He’ll make a perfect lawyer because he’s great at debating an issue.” Mark chortled to himself. “He’s super nice though. He and I will have to get takeaway from here.”

“You could come here on Fridays with John, Sicheng, and I.”

Mark paused.

“I don’t think so.”

He wiped his hands with a napkin and then took a large swig of water.

“Why not? You like the food, clearly.”

“Because…us hanging out is super awkward for me.”

Yuta felt a twinge of annoyance spark within his chest.

“Alright, Mark. You’re not the only one that feels embarrassed and awkward about the situation. I slept with an awesome stranger last night. I woke up in the morning, alone, hungover, disoriented, and disappointed. You didn’t say goodbye. You didn’t leave me your phone number. You just left. I would at least have made you a coffee and some toast. Then you arrive as the new employee that I am required to train. I discovered this new information in front of both my boss and my co-workers. I wanted to hide my head. There were a lot of things that I wanted to express today but couldn’t. But you know what? I’m saying them now so…do you want to just be honest and tell me how you’re feeling?”

Mark appeared reluctant but resigned. His cheeks flushed pink.

“I don’t…I don’t normally have one-night stands. I did it this one time. It felt weird when I woke up sober and in a stranger’s bed. Even scary.”

“Well, that’s understandable. You should have woken me. I would have helped you through it.”

“I would never have done that. You would have looked at me like I’m some brat.”

“You are a brat, but I never would have let you suffer by yourself.”

Poor Mark looked as though he was seriously considering dashing from the restaurant. Yuta sighed deeply.

“This doesn’t have to be awkward. Well…it _is_ awkward, but it’s okay. We just need to properly acknowledge what we did, and then we can be more comfortable around each other. I’ll start. We had sex last night. It was fucking fantastic, and now we work together. Your turn.”

The expression that Mark wore was one of intense discomfort.

“I’m not saying these things out loud in a restaurant.”

“You need to say them. On the edge of discomfort is where growth occurs. Come on. Let me hear it, Markie.”

“Don’t call m—”

“This is so weird. I seem to recall someone being so charismatic last night. Has he become shy?”

Yuta put a mocking hand to his chin, stared upwards at the ceiling as if pondering, and then back at him tauntingly.

“Yuta, keep your voice down.”

“You had such a confident, sexy voice.”

“Yuta. I’m warning you.”

“What did you say again?” Yuta closed his eyes and threw his head back, his mouth forming a lewd ‘O’ shape. “Oppaaaa! Yeah! Opp—"

Mark dashed across the short distance between them and clapped a hand to Yuta’s mouth.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” he whispered urgently. Then his expression changed to fright and he immediately retreated, clutching his hand. “UGH! What did you do?!”

Yuta flashed one of his smiles and winked suggestively at Mark.

“I licked your hand.”

Mark’s ears turned beet red. For a moment, Yuta thought Mark might storm away from him. He would have been within his rights to do so. Something miraculous happened instead. He grinned and began laughing. It was a sight to behold. It was not a strong fit of laughter. It sounded exhausted. The grin was so refreshing. Yuta could momentarily see the adorable man in the fluffy sweater with the wine-stained mouth from the prior night. When Mark’s hiccupping subsided, he sat back down in his chair.

“Oh my God. You’re something else, you know that?

Yuta leaned on his elbow and stared into Mark’s eyes, as if doting upon him.

“I do.”

“God…Okay fine. Yeah. We slept together…and it wasn’t bad. Now we work together, and it’s kinda weird.”

“You mean it was fantastic.”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“You mean mind-blowing.”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“Showstopping. Life-changing. Unforgettable.”

“Oh my God, Yuta.”

“No ‘Oppa’ for me this time?”

“I’m going to throw this chicken at you!”

But Mark was grinning. He was no longer angry. Yuta could have danced.

“Auntie!” Yuta called. “I’m going to buy him a slice of cake as well!”

“Sure!”

***

Later, as they approached the break in the sidewalk where they had to go their separate ways, Yuta once again had his arm draped around Mark’s shoulders. The younger had initially opposed this by swatting Yuta and walking five feet away from him, stating that it was not necessary. Mark shivered five minutes into the walk, and then Yuta wasn’t willing to budge on it. He was determined that tomorrow he would bring a hat and scarf to work just in case Mark forgot his.

The snow was even more plentiful now, and the speed of the wind had eased. Looking at the person next to him, Yuta observed that some flakes had gathered on his eyelashes and in his black hair. His nose was rosy from the cold. He couldn’t explain his urge to kiss Mark’s eyelids. There was just something about this feisty, flustered, wide-eyed man…

“Yuta, this is where I have to turn.”

Mark extricated himself from the older man’s grip and put on a forced smile.

“Thank you for the chicken and the cake. I feel really full, though.”

“You’re welcome. Hey, I just want to say something before you go. The way that it was today at work is not how it will be every day. You’re just getting your sea legs as a consultant. It’s going to feel overwhelming at first. Allow me to overprepare you during this training period and you’ll never have to doubt yourself. After that, I’ll be a lot friendlier.”

Mark nodded, confirming his understanding. Yuta was satisfied.

“Now, give me your phone.”

“What?”

Yuta held out his hand.

“Give me your phone. I’m going to use it to call my number so that I have your contact information.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Just tell your number to me.”

“And have you leave me hanging? No way.”

“Alright, then I’ll tell you my number.”

“So that you can give me a fake one?”

Mark grinned. “I would _never_.”

“Oh no?”

The younger grumbled. “Why is it so important for you to have it?”

Yuta let out a great sigh as he shrugged. The steam against the cold weather looked like dragon’s breath, and he admired how it billowed, bloomed, and then disappeared.

“I find you intriguing. I like talking with you. I would have asked for it this morning.”

Yuta’s cheeks glowed pink. He felt nervous for some reason, which was so contradictory to his easy confidence.

“Mark, if you don’t want me to have your number, that’s okay. But I would really like it…”

Mark raised his eyebrows, and so Yuta smiled. He couldn’t help it. _So cute_ , he thought.

“Ohhkaaaaaaay.” Mark said in an elongated fashion that Yuta sensed was very ‘him’. “Here.”

Within one minute, Yuta had obtained Mark’s number and had entered his own number in the latter’s phone.

“Okay. I’m going to leave now. Goodbye, Yuta.” He began walking toward his respective train station.

“Have a good night, Markie.”

Yuta saw Mark stop momentarily, bow his head, exhale, and continue. 


	4. Colored With Your Scent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark spends day 2 on the job following his dinner with Yuta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy teatime, all!
> 
> Welcome to chapter 4! I wanted to include a note here for funsies that this story is inspired by the teasers for 'Regular'. Ya know...the ones of them in the office. 
> 
> Also, I hope you all like this chapter. We'll see some other characters for the first time. Thank you all for being so supportive of my work thus far. It's so wonderful. I mean that.
> 
> Easter Eggs from chapter 3:
> 
> 1) It's Awkward, But It's Okay- An NCT Daily segment from 2020. I recommend. It was SO HILARIOUS.  
> 2) Press Your Number by Taemin- "Press it. Press, press, press, press."  
> 3) Gimme Gimme by NCT 127- "Come to me. Come to me.  
> 4) Body Rhythm by SHINee- "He didn’t overthink his actions, but let them flow, guided by Mark’s body rhythms, breathing, and voice."
> 
> Please enjoy and leave a comment! I love to get to know my readers! <3

**POV Mark**

Mark felt some peace of mind when Yuta didn’t text him immediately. He would have been averse to that. It had been an exceptionally strange day, and all Mark wanted to do was drop face-first into his bed. When he finally got the opportunity, he did not move, stir, wake, or so much as make a single sound until morning when his alarm began performing his shuffled playlist.

If he thought that Yuta would have mercy on him at work following their bizarre dinner, he was sorely mistaken. First, casual Fridays really meant ‘Less Formal Fridays’ to Yuta. He still wore tailored clothing. On that day, he wore light gray, slim fitting business pants and a sharp white buttoned shirt with no tie. His first two buttons were purposely left unfastened. His hair was styled differently, as it was wavy and pulled back into a small ponytail at the base of his nape. Self-loathing overflowed within Mark when he so readily admitted to himself that it was effortlessly sexy. That was a short-lived bittersweet and somewhat positive sentiment, however. The first thing that Yuta said following Mark’s “good morning” was:

“Why are you dressed so informally?”

“Uhm…Taeil told me yesterday that Fridays are for business casual. I’m pretty sure that your precious Sicheng is also wearing jeans.”

Mark studied himself rapidly. He had dressed in a brand-new cashmere argyle quarter zip sweater over dark blue jeans and brown shoes. He thought that his clothes had paired well with his glasses and his dark hair. Even Doyoung had praised the outfit. Any person who knew his roommate well understood that his compliments were rare and difficult to obtain outright. Usually, he would make Mark fight for them.

“Dress for the job that you want, Mark. Not for the one that you have. Now, bring up your client and area lists on the computer. We have a lot to do.”

If it were possible, Yuta was more of a slavedriver on day two. Mark easily made twenty more phone calls than the previous day. His sunbae even made him publicly speak in his place in front of a conference room full of other consultants, advisors, external wholesalers, and Taeil (the division manager).

“It’s great experience. Trial by fire, Markie. They’ll eat you right up. It’s hard not to do that.”

That last sentence, he had added in a whisper right next to Mark’s ear. The younger blushed furiously.

“I swear, if you call me Markie one more time, I’ll slap you.”

“You promise?” Yuta flashed a bawdy grin and subtly licked the top row of his teeth. “Wherever and whatever you’re into, hyung. I can be flexible.”

Mark stuttered incoherently at that line. Yuta snickered and he felt the sound tickle his back without his consent. The fact that his body liked the sensation of it was what he found even more deplorable. _You fucking traitor_ , he hissed at himself.

He swore that he lost most of his energy that day trying in utter futility to bicker with and placate Yuta. By the time Taeil came over to check on them at 3:30PM, Mark’s forehead was rested on the surface of the desk while the elder leaned gracefully and peacefully on the side of the cubicle, emitting a cheerful, springtime aura.

“Hi you two. I just wanted to say how brilliantly you’ve done already, Mark. This is exactly why I paired you with Yuta. He really knows how to work strong. I was seriously impressed by your public speaking this morning. You also seem to be cranking out those calls. That takes real determination, especially when you’re only on day two. Nice work, Mark. And nice work in training, Yuta.”

“Oh, thank you, boss.” Said Yuta in simulated humility, flaunting a victorious smile at his dongsaeng. Mark grunted “thanks” once in response.

***

They again completed their work on time and were clearing their temporarily mutual workspace. The neighboring co-workers were abuzz with conversations surrounding drinks and bar snacks. YangYang, in particular, seemed extremely eager.

“Ahhh!” He stretched his arms above his head and gathered his jacket. “I’m so glad to be done for the day. You all were no help to me, as usual. I had to make so many unnecessary calls to compliance today. You all could have lightened my load a bit.”

“And deny you the chance to phone sex Hendery? We would never!” chimed Yuta.

Johnny and Sicheng snorted as YangYang whacked Yuta with a lone folder. Even Mark had to admit that he had held in a laugh.

“Come out with us tonight.” Yuta says as Mark puts on his coat. “You survived last night and today with just me. You’ll absolutely be able to outlast a dinner with all three of us.”

“I can’t. I promised Doyoung and my best friend that we’d order in, but maybe we’ll order dinner from there. It was good chicken.”

Yuta was undeterred.

“Call them and cancel.”

“I can’t just do that, and outside of work you don’t have seniority over me.”

Mark grabs his ID before he can forget and as he does, he thinks he hears Yuta whisper “tease”.

“Well at least text me when you get home safely.”

The younger shook his head.

“There won’t be a need for that. Quit it with your power-trip. It’s getting old.”

Mark began to walk to the exit when his sunbae grabbed his shoulder.

“What are you—”

“So you don’t shiver on your way home.”

Yuta had draped something around his neck. It was a soft woven scarf, white in color, and very affectionate to the skin of the face. It immediately blocked drafts and wasn’t too thin or too bulky. It smelled like mellow peppermint…just like Yuta.

**The One-Night Stand…**

_It had been about five minutes or so since Yuta had carried him into the bedroom and placed him on the fluffy frosted jade duvet covered bed with care. Since then, Mark could not say for certain whether his brain was properly functioning. He had slipped into an unknown place…a wild, writhing kaleidoscope where Yuta was touching his body…moving him here and there in a treacherous waltz. It was impossible to escape the tight grasp that his nerve endings and his mind’s eye had on him as Yuta’s mouth moved over the surface of secret places._

_His belly filled with clutching, bubbling heat. Yuta gripped Mark’s hip with one hand and his member with another. The younger’s dick kept disappearing inside of Yuta’s wet mouth, and every time it did, his body involuntarily moved to encourage a deeper descent into the abyss. A white-hot coil that had been gathering tension inside of him positively sang with the strength of a full orchestra as he watched and growled with powerless satisfaction._ It’s so hot. My God…Oh God is that his tongue? He’s sucking on me even more now.

_Saliva dripped down his shaft in large quantities, which only aided the pleasure when Yuta stroked the area where his mouth was not touching. The drag of the elder’s tongue as it swirled rhythmically had the younger seeing stars, and when Yuta’s finger threatened to caress his rim but didn’t, Mark nearly burst on the spot. The sounds of lips, breaths, moans, kisses, a tongue flicking were all so obscene, and they made so much sense. They were the most beautiful noises in the whole world. Even the sound of his own voice, which usually bothered Mark to no end, sounded like music which increased to a glorious crescendo when his dick repeatedly stroked the back of Yuta’s throat._

_“Oh…Oh. It’s coming. Oppa…Oppa!”_

_Yuta withdrew with a sharp suctioning noise and Mark almost screamed in protest. He was so close to coming. The younger could feel it gripping tightly at his focus, sending all nerves pointing in one clear direction. He was unraveling like yarn and wrapping around Yuta’s long fingers. But now it was fading…escaping his grasp like smoke._

_“Hmmm. You’re so good for me.” Yuta answered quietly as he sucked at Mark’s inner thigh. He too was moaning at that time. Mark had probably been putting on the performance of a lifetime for him. When the dongsaeng lifted his head to look, he saw that Yuta had unbuttoned his jeans and was stroking himself. “You turn me on so much with your reactions. So beautiful, baby boy.”_

_Yuta brought his mouth back to the base of Mark’s cock and sucked gently at the vein on the underside. A thumb pressed the head and rubbed circles, lubricated by precome._

_“Oh God…” whined Mark as his approaching orgasm reconsidered and plummeted back in his direction like a boomerang. He covered his eyes, trying to stop its progression. “Stop. I don’t want to come this soon.”_

_“Why not? It sounds like you want to come.” Yuta asked, completely unaffected. His voice was muffled by repeated French kisses to Mark’s shaft. “It’s okay if you do.” Kiss. “We have no rule here that says you only get one.” Kiss. Kiss. “I’ll give you as many as you want, baby.” One long suck with tongue. “Unless you want me to edge you. That’s always fun too.”_

_“At least…at least let me reciprocate.” Mark groaned. His dick throbbed and ached with longing. His breathing crossed into the realm of near hyperventilation. He honestly could not decide whether it was sweeter to come or to have Yuta edge him into oblivion._

_Yuta reduced his attentions, lazily kissing and licking the head again._

_“Do you want a turn so badly?”_

_“Yeah. Please.”_

_Yuta’s lion eyes scanned Mark’s own, meticulously contemplating, and weighing his options. The hand on the younger’s length had paused, awaiting orders from its master. Finally, he smiled fiendishly, placed several wet kisses on the inside of Mark’s left thigh (which had the latter shivering from increased sensitivity), and moved so that his body hovered over his partner’s. He didn’t have to use his arms or any amount of strength. Mark was pinned to the bed already. Yuta had a powerful presence. That much was unquestionable._

_“Let me tell you something, baby.” He put a finger to Mark’s mouth and slipped it past his lips to the first joint. Mark allowed his tongue to become acquainted with it in some sort of peculiar ritual. “You already are reciprocating. Your body is magnificent for me.”_

_His finger intruded further, covering itself with the slick of Mark’s saliva. Mark couldn’t help but suck it hungrily._ What the fuck am I doing? Is this even the booze anymore? What is this encounter?

_“This makes me really happy. You look angelic whether you’re flirting on my couch, or naked on my bed with your dick in my mouth. I want to moan on this.” Yuta gently regripped Mark, causing him to gasp. “I want to suck on this. I want to lick you. I want to mess you up. In fact…”_

_He retreated, retracting his finger in the process, and re-stationed himself between Mark’s thighs._

_“This right now, this makes me feel very alive. Grab the sheets, grab my hair…whatever you want. But I’m going to continue.”_

_He pressed a single, teasing, saliva-coated digit to Mark’s rim, and again engulfed his hardened cock with his mouth. Mark let out a small scream and gripped the duvet so hard that he nearly ripped it. It was no use fighting Yuta. It was impossible. The more he attempted to maintain some control over the situation, the more Yuta asserted dominance_.

I can’t resist, _his higher intelligence whispered in a final breath._ I have to have him.

_They carried on, and Mark lost track of time and setting. The only thing that rooted him onto the Earth as the pleasure mounted was Yuta’s scent of peppermint._

**Present…**

Mark brought a tentative hand to his neck to adjust the scarf as he paced the sidewalk that led to the rented townhouse that he shared with Doyoung. The sun had almost disappeared, and the December chill of night was creeping in with its black hood to obscure everybody and everything. He unlocked the door, crossed the threshold, and hung his coat on the post. His keys and wallet were dropped into an ugly clay bowl he had received as a gift. He removed the white scarf gingerly, folded it, and let it rest on the table that held the clay bowl. It had been warm.

When he walked into the small living room, he was met with the comforting scent of cranberry that emitted from the reed diffuser in the corner near the tiny work desk that Doyoung used sometimes. The area had a three-cushion couch that sat prettily in front of a window, a coffee table decorated with mismatched coasters and one blooming Christmas cactus, and a mid-sized flat screen television. The townhouse had a tiny kitchen, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms as well. Doyoung smiled from where he was positioned on the couch, most likely browsing social media on his phone. Donghyuck sat adjacent to him, doing much of the same thing.

“Mark!” yelled Donghyuck loudly. “I’m so hungry and Doie made me wait to order food!”

“He wasn’t home yet!” Doyoung scolded. “Don’t make me a villain. You agreed to wait!”

Mark smiled.

“It’s okay. It works out because I found out about a great fried chicken place. We can order takeaway from there.”

“Really? Did you get a recommendation?” Donghyuck asked.

“Yeah, from a co-worker.” He purposely kept this statement as flat and casual as possible.

“Sounds good to me.” said Doyoung. “How was work?”

Mark exhaled a great gust of air and sunk into the remaining couch cushion. He opened the browser on his smartphone to the restaurant’s web page to order.

“Same as yesterday. The guy who’s training me is…intense. It can be a bit much at times.”

“Good.” Doyoung said instantly.

“Huh?”

“You need someone intense, Mark. It holds you accountable. Makes you work harder. I’ve seen it.”

Mark felt slighted.

“Excuse me, but I passed that interview all by myself. I’m good enough on my own.”

Doyoung met his rebuttal with surety.

“Yes, you are enough, but you never genuinely believe that when the going gets tough. When you were so nervous, Hyuckie and I helped you prepare for that interview. Remember how you considered canceling it two days prior? Now, I’m not taking anything away from your success Mark, but you’re shy and you do tend to get overwhelmed easily. If someone is challenging you, that’s a good thing. It means that they have faith in you to meet or exceed expectations. Don’t reject it. Run to meet it.”

“Gee, thanks for the lecture, Eomma. I’ll be sure to download your advice column from Bunny’s Digest.”

Doyoung just shook his head and shrugged.

“You can ridicule me all you want, but you know I’m right.”

Mark internally cursed Doyoung. He was right. Two days before the interview at the practice, he had doubted his abilities. He was younger and greener than the average consultant, and this made him question his readiness. If Doyoung hadn’t physically wrestled his cell phone out of his hand, he would have self-sabotaged his chances for success.

BUZZ. BUZZ.

Mark looked at his phone, but Doyoung shook his head.

“It’s mine.”

Mark observed his roommate read his message, sport a wide, gummy smile, and laugh deeply.

“What’s got you laughing like that?” Mark asked suspiciously.

Donghyuck leaned his body closer to his friend’s.

“I think he’s met someone. He’s been spending more and more time at that twenty-four-hour café where he… ‘studies’.”

“Who is it?” Mark whispered back, tempted to giggle like a gossip.

“He won’t say. Whenever I ask, he says ‘never you mind’, but whoever it is makes him blush like a virgin.”

Doyoung turned to them, an exasperated expression plastered to his face.

“Excuse me, I can hear you both perfectly.”

An hour later, their takeaway had arrived. Mark had since changed into sweatpants and a loose tee-shirt. He placed his less expensive glasses onto his face as well. Donghyuck was won over by the restaurant the moment his teeth sunk into the first drumstick.

“Oh my God. It stayed crispy, even though it’s takeaway!”

“I told you. The auntie who makes it is talented.”

“Why did you order seaweed soup? We’re not hungover or heartbroken.” Doyoung inquired, pointing at the plastic tupperware.

Mark glared at him.

“Would you just eat? I paid for it and everything.”

BUZZ. BUZZ.

That one was Mark. He could feel its vibrations next to him on the coffee table, but he ignored it. All thoughts were on the fried chicken. He had consumed only a small bento for his midday meal.

“So Doyoung, did you get the grade on your paper back yet?”

His roommate shook his head.

“Donghyuck, did you say that you met your next-door neighbor finally?”

BUZZ. BUZZ.

“Not quite. I heard him.” His friend replied. “He’s super loud. I’m thinking about yelling at him.”

“Loud?” questioned Mark. “Loud how?”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and scowled. “He sings constantly.”

“Hmm…is he any good?”

“No! Well…yes, he actually is extremely good, but that’s not the point. When you share walls, you should be more considerate of others. Especially when they are trying to sleep. Some people work evenings and nights.”

BUZZ. BUZZ.

“Mark, are you going to answer that?” Doyoung gestured to his cell phone.

Mark shook his head.

“It’s probably my mom. I’ll text her after dinner.”

Doyoung let out an unpredicted low laugh.

“I don’t think it’s your mom.” He lifted Mark’s cell phone. “Who is…who is ‘OPPA!’?”

Mark choked on his bite of chicken and Donghyuck had to rub his back as he adjusted, coughed, and deep breathed.

“What?!” he rasped, still struggling to breathe.

“Whoever it is, you might want to respond to him, because he won’t stop sending you eggplant and wink emojis.”

Mark flung a wild arm and tried to grab his phone back from Doyoung.

“Mark…Mark, Mark, you sexy kitten! Is there something you’re not telling us?” Donghyuck chanted, excitedly.

“Give me the phone!” Mark grabbed the device and stormed out of the room.

**6:59PM**

**ML:** what the hell?

**7:00PM**

**OPPA!:** you never texted me.

you were supposed to let me know when you got home safely

**7:02PM**

**ML:** i said it wasn’t needed

you’re not my mom

now my roommate has the wrong impression

**7:03PM**

**OPPA!:** he doesn’t have the wrong impression

**7:04PM**

**ML:** don’t text me

don’t call me

**7:05PM**

**OPPA!:** i’ll do both

**7:07PM**

**ML:** why are you doing this?

why are you being such a pain?

Bubbles on the phone screen indicated a forming response, but Mark was impatient.

**7:08PM**

**ML:** just don’t do it again

**7:09PM**

**OPPA!:** i will do it again

**7:09PM**

**ML:** i will block you

**7:10PM**

**OPPA!:** you won’t

**7:10PM**

**ML:** GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON?

**7:11PM**

**OPPA!:** because you want me

because you like me

Mark saw the message appear, read it, and then locked his phone. It made him panic, for some reason. He couldn’t stop his heart from pounding. His mind involuntarily panned to the memory of Yuta’s mouth…his dick deep inside. Mortified, Mark buried his face in his hands. _Why? Stop. Stop. STOP IT. Keep it together._

BUZZ. BUZZ.

Hands shaking, he read the new message.

**7:12PM**

**OPPA!:** don’t worry. i like you too, markie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHHH. How will Mark like THAT???? 
> 
> Love to spill that tea!


	5. My Heart Is Beating, Traffic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark does some digging...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy teatime, everyone! Just a quick note before you all get started.
> 
> This chapter was difficult for me to write, but not because of the content. I received some devastating personal news today. My writing means the world to me and it's my coping mechanism, and so I labored to finish it. It's how I got through this intensely difficult day. I hope that you all like it and that it lives up to my usual standards. Please feel free to kudos and comment if you enjoy! It makes me feel so nice to get to know you all.
> 
> allofthetea

**POV Mark**

Mark had many questions…so many questions. However, he knew that none of them could be asked without looking Yuta in the eyes, and that was just not possible. Not possible at all. To say that his brain set off all alarms and bells was the understatement of the century. His weekend had been inundated with thoughts regarding those two, fateful sentences: ‘because you want me. because you like me.’ Like a dreadful scratched record, the words repeated and repeated until they became a rap in his head. In addition, explaining the eggplant emojis to Doyoung and Donghyuck had not been an easy task. They interrogated him ceaselessly, asking if this ‘OPPA!’ was his secret lover. Even though Yuta and Mark _had_ slept together, his friends did not need to know that critical information. In the end, he stated that Yuta was just a coworker and that he most likely got drunk on soju while eating fried chicken with friends. This was what Mark actually hoped was the truth. 

And for formality’s sake, he changed Yuta’s contact name to ‘THAT GUY’.

Indeed, Yuta’s actions seemed to corroborate with Mark’s theory. His senior never mentioned the texts, nor did he make any references to the emoji onslaught when Monday’s workday arrived. If Mark thought that Yuta would cease with his endless teasing and micromanaging however, he was again proven naïve. It continued at the same, grueling pace which of course made the latter gleeful and sapped the former of his entire stock of stamina.

“Yuta,” Taeil said at one point when Mark was busy speaking to a client on his headset. “Can I have a quick word?”

When Yuta left, his intense energy followed him. Mark thumped his head _once again_ into a resting position on his desk.

“You alright in there?”

It was not necessary to lift his head. He could tell from the smoother, friendlier tone of voice that it was Johnny.

“Uhnn.” He grumbled.

Johnny patted his shoulder. “Cheer up! You’re almost through the last day of orientation! Come on. Let’s take a stroll around the cubes. I think it will help you regain oxygen to your brain.”

When ambling next to each other, Mark was positively dwarfed by Johnny. Standing above 182cm, he was by far the tallest member of the practice. He had a naturally cool vibe and charm about him that made Mark feel at ease. _Breezy_ , he contemplated, _like a spring day_. For a minute, they walked silently, but that was broken when Johnny apparently got curious.

“So, tell me a little bit about yourself. Yuta has been monopolizing you, so no one on the team really has a clue what you’re all about. You know…other than the fact that you’re an internal wholesaler.”

“Oh. Sure. What do you want to know?”

“How long have you been in finance?”

“Not long. I was a traveling advisor for a period of about one year. It was commission only, though. It put some financial strain on me. I knew that if I applied to a consulting position that it would increase the stakes, but it would also increase my pay. I had to go for it.”

“Ah.” Said Johnny. “So far, how does this work compare?”

“It’s denser.” Stated Mark. “I perform more tasks in one day. However, I am thankful to no longer be driving to meet clients.”

They stopped in front of the broken Keurig and each gave it a disappointed stare and a moment of silence. Mark helped himself to a cup of water from the cooler.

“Tell me where you’re from.” Directed Johnny.

“I’m originally from Canada. I moved to Korea from Vancouver.”

“Ah! Imagine that. I’m from the States. Chicago. My parents still live there. What made you want to move here?”

Mark studied this question happily. “I’m…a young guy with big dreams, I guess.”

“I agree. I have a large personality and I wanted to make waves. I enjoy traveling, and I already was fluent in Korean so, I wanted to try my luck in a different country.”

The pair grinned, grateful to have found kindred spirits in each other.

“Hey,” Johnny pointed his finger at Mark. “You know who else is uh…what we call a ‘Foreign Swagger’ here? YangYang. He’s fluent in Korean, but he was born in Taiwan _and_ he’s lived in Germany. Guy can speak something like…four languages. Oh, and Yuta is foreign as well. He’s from Osaka, Japan.”

Mark was not surprised. Yuta was not a Korean name, and he had heard a slight accent, even though his conversational Korean and Hangul were nearly flawless.

“Hey Johnny, can I ask…what’s Yuta’s deal, anyway? He’s such a weird guy. One minute he’s super harsh and the next minute he’s chill…then he’s…he’s…uhmm…” 

“Flirtatious?” answered Johnny astutely.

“That’s a mild way of stating it. How’d you know?”

Johnny shook his head.

“He’s always been like that. Most of the time, it’s to amuse people or himself. He texts us a lot of eggplant emojis, suggestive memes et cetera. You should see him text YangYang. Usually, it has to do with Hendery down in compliance. You haven’t met him yet, and you _definitely_ didn’t hear it from me…but the running rumor is that our maknae made out with him at the company New Year party last year. Winwin too. Yuta calls that guy his ‘work husband’ and makes a lot of sexy jokes. Winwin acts like he doesn’t like it, but I think he secretly does. After all, Yuta is…well…he’s not ugly. We’ll put it that way.”

Johnny chuckled appreciatively and continued.

“What you have to remember about Yuta is that his personality is like a wild horse. You really can’t tame him. He just tosses his head, champs at the bit, and then does what he wants. Still…he’s intelligent and he has a gentle side. Did you know that he spends two afternoons per week as a Japanese language tutor for his next-door neighbor’s son? Or that he helps a local coach teach soccer to kids once per month?”

Mark felt it. A definite fluttering. _Stop it, Minhyung. You did not just._

“He really does all that?” The younger was flabbergasted and more than a bit skeptical. “Our Nakamoto Yuta?”

Johnny nodded. “He’s provocative. He’s competitive. He’s ambitious. He roasts the living daylights out of all of us. He pushes us so hard that sometimes we hate him, but…he really is one of a kind, and a good friend to me here in a country where I didn’t used to have any.”

Mark didn’t have a response prepared. He reflected on the text messages again and felt foolish. So, he really didn’t have anything about which to be anxious. Yuta…did that to all of them. Mark was not special.

“I think the key is that, if he is a wild horse, we should treat him like one. He can be very guarded even though he’s a squish. It’s best to be kind and then walk away. He’ll usually follow and reciprocate.”

Johnny became oddly placid and stared in Yuta’s direction. Mark looked as well. Truly looked. He had just emerged from Taeil’s office, appearing jovial. His smile was pretty.

**The One Night Stand…**

_“Turn over. On your knees. Do it.”_

_Yuta’s voice was only mildly elevated above that of a whisper, but it had a roguish edge to it. Head floating, breathing erratic, and muscles trembling, Mark rolled over into the prone position. He could feel the sweat cooling his back as it contacted the open air._

_“No. Not like that.” Yuta grabbed Mark’s hips and pulled them upward so that his body was supported by his knees. “On your knees like this. Yeah.”_

_Mark burned scarlet with embarrassment that was so sweet that it burst with flavor in his mouth, much like tart raspberry preserves on a summer’s day. He quivered when he felt Yuta’s finger on his right shoulder blade. Like a snake, it slithered deliberately to his thoracic spine, scaled every vertebra, and came to rest in one of the dimples that resided just above where his pants would normally sit. Mark bit his lip in anticipation. His eyes were almost black with arousal but could not hide his enduring state of inebriation. A thumb brushed like a feather over his rim. Mark didn’t want to admit it, but it had been a while since his last encounter, and he was nervous about pain._

_“I love how this looks.” Yuta growled. “It’s twitching. God…”_

_“Yuta…”_

_“…Wanna touch more.”_

_The older placed just enough pressure on Mark’s entrance with his thumb to tease. The stimulation of it had the younger melting and letting out deep vocalizations. Leaning forward, the elder latched onto Mark’s lower right back and began alternating between biting and sucking. By the time Yuta withdrew, a brand-new bruise was forming, and Mark had been reduced to a painfully hard, moaning, and profane mess._

_“Stay here.”_

_Yuta kissed his back courteously. Mark’s eyes followed him as he traversed a small distance and opened his bedside drawer. He grabbed lubricant and a condom but paused. Mark stared, hardly able to employ higher brain activity when seeing Yuta naked. His body looked like something the younger wanted so desperately to touch. This was for reasons other than the obvious arousal that hung erect between his legs. In this unfamiliar place where Mark was free-falling, he needed to root himself to something. Because this was not his usual behavior, nervousness began to simmer in his heart. As if sensing this, Yuta knelt on the bed and brushed Mark’s hair out of his eyes. It was a tender and compassionate gesture._

_“What do you want to do, baby? Top or bottom?”_

_Mark stared into Yuta’s large eyes. They scanned him for truth and comfort but pierced too deeply._ Why is he so intense? Why would I be naked in front of him even if I were fully clothed?

_“I can’t make a move and won’t until you tell me explicitly. Consent, baby.”_

Yuta…is kind.

_Mark aggressively grabbed his partner’s face and pulled him in for a feverish kiss._

_“Fuck me. I want you to fuck me.”_

_Yuta’s eyes gleamed with audacity. He repositioned his body at Mark’s rear and the younger could hear the cap of the lubricant snap to an open position. Mark’s inner coil of arousal began to hum and vibrate, but out of reflex, he recoiled a few inches toward the direction of the headboard. Yuta chased him and sunk his teeth into the flesh of Mark’s ass. The younger let out a strangled cry as he felt another bruise being sucked into existence._

_“Don’t be shy.” Yuta quietly crooned as he kissed the budding red mark. “Don’t run from me.”_

_“God,” Mark groaned as he felt the warmth of his mouth. “You are such a fucking tease. I want to mess you up so badly.”_

_“I can’t let you. Not when your body is screaming ‘touch me even more’. I’m going to prep you.”_

_He slipped one long finger in past the rim. Mark gripped the duvet and panted._

_“Listen closely to me, baby. Count the thrusts of my finger out loud. I want to hear you fall apart, just for me. It’ll make me so damn hard.”_

_First one finger…then two…then three. Mark had counted out loud in rasped whispers and broken shouts. Ten slow thrusts of the hand and scissoring of the fingers before each new digit had pressed into him. It went on for a while. Each finger was intrusiveness, followed by the hottest possession. The stretch brought him to unearthly places…got him closer. Were these the places where he could remain open to vulnerability and not feel afraid? Could he stay there in peace?_

_“Please…” he begged. “Yuta.”_

_“Tell me what I want to hear.”_

Yuta is sexy.

_Mark squeezed his eyes shut as three fingers brushed and pressed his prostate._

_“Oppa…fuck me.”_

_The fingers slipped from him, leaving him empty. The tear of a condom’s foil…the sound of lube being applied…it had to be this way._ I want him so fucking much.

_He opened his mouth in a silent scream. Yuta was inside of him._

**Present…**

It had been hours since Mark had arrived at home, and yet, he could not relax. His dinner went untouched. His dress pants and shirt remained on his body. Despite being tired, he could not nap. He could only lie on his bed and stare at the blank, white ceiling. 

‘I find you intriguing. I like talking with you.’

‘because you want me. because you like me.’

‘He’s always been like that. Most of the time, it’s to amuse people or himself.’

Who was Yuta? What was his aim? What did he want?

It drove Mark insane that he could not independently solve this equation. If his sunbae was so kind and benevolent, why did he tease him so much?

_I must be out of my fucking mind._

**7:01PM**

**ML:** i need to ask a question

_I hate myself. This will go straight to his head._

**7:05PM**

**THAT GUY:** idk i tend to be very busy these days, markie

**7:06PM**

**ML:** yeah whatever

just tell me something

those texts on friday night…you were just hassling me right?

giving me a hard time?

The response did not come immediately, even though Mark expected it. He waited ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. Twenty minutes. Forty-five minutes. One hour. He lost his patience.

**8:10PM**

**ML:** yuta?

Still nothing.

**8:23PM**

**ML:** listen i don’t mean to harass you

i just want to know why you said it

do you talk to everyone like this?

like…johnny said you talk to sicheng like this

is it true?

Bubbles signaled a forming response. _Finally_.

Then they disappeared.

_What the fuck? This guy!_

**8:27PM**

**ML:** he also said you talk to yangyang like this

i can handle joking

Bubbles.

**8:28PM**

**THAT GUY:** so you were asking others about me?

**8:29PM**

**ML:** please will you just focus?

**8:30PM**

**THAT GUY:** you really seem eager to know

what do i get if i tell you?

_This guy!!_

**8:31PM**

**ML:** nothing.

just tell me.

**8:33PM**

**THAT GUY:** impossible

nothing in life is free, markie

blank check

_What?_

**8:34PM**

**ML:** huh?

**8:35PM**

**THAT GUY:** b l a n k c h e c k

if i tell you, i get to name my price after. blank check.

**8:36PM**

**ML:** that’s extortion!

i’m looking for a simple answer

**8:38PM**

**THAT GUY:** it's not. supply and demand

you’re demanding something from my supply

and you seem to want it badly

i reserve the right to hike up the price

Mark’s heart hammered. Why was he so curious about this? It pissed him off that he could not seem to get his act in order over a simple pair of text messages. _Fuck you, Minhyung._ _Fuck, fuck, fuck you to hell for what you’re about to do._

**8:38PM**

**ML:** fine

answer me

is it all an act?

do you flirt with everyone?

**8:40PM**

**THAT GUY:** remember. blank check, markie.

**8:41PM**

**ML:** QUIT STALLING

YOU GOT YOUR BLANK CHECK

NOW TELL ME

**8:42PM**

**THAT GUY:** first, let me say that you looked so cute today

**8:43PM**

**ML: -_-**

i’m blocking you now

**8:46PM**

**THAT GUY:** …mark?

lol you didn’t block me, did you?

**8:47PM**

**ML:** you’re killing me, yuta

you make me tired

just tell me.

Mark was face first on his pillow when the phone chimed again.

**8:50PM**

**THAT GUY:** yes, i flirt with everyone

it’s fun

So, it was true. Straight from the source, his behavior was eccentric but not specific to Mark. Why did it feel so anticlimactic?

CHIME.

**8:52PM**

**THAT GUY:** but i don’t romance everyone

i’m not that kind of person

blank check, mark

**8:54PM**

**ML:** what do you want?

make it reasonable

Mark steeled himself for the inevitable dirty joke at his expense.

**8:57PM**

**THAT GUY:** a few hours of your time

spend a day with me

a real date

His hand placed his phone on the bed and then glided neatly to his chest, right over his beating heart.

_Stop, Minhyung. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop it._

But his heart percussed faster and faster.

‘He really is one of a kind.’

**9:00PM**

**ML:** fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter. Even from afar, you've made my day more bearable. It was so bad, but I'll be okay. Writing is a wonderful passion to have.
> 
> allofthetea


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